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Yesterday marked my last teaching day of the first semester. The next 2 weeks only comprise of exams and post-exam activities, such as the sports day. The students will then have a 3-week holiday while teachers continue to work through the school holidays, preparing for the new semester, and attending courses and seminars.

Despite that, I managed to squeeze some time out to swing by Singapore from 16-21 October.

I guess everything is good for now.

I managed to defer my NS commitments and have successfully been granted my exit permit.
I managed to open a bank account and have a debit card I can use.
I managed to get medical insurance at only 599 baht a year (I can go to any hospital for free).

For the past few months that I am living here, I have only ran once. It was quite an obstacle course because roads in Thailand aren’t that pedestrian-friendly. After that run, I decided that it was too dangerous for me to run on the roads, so I stopped running here altogether.

Over the past few weeks, there was an itch in me that I really had to scratch – I needed a run so badly. I decided against running on the roads because it may well turn out to be my last run, or if not, at least return home with a broken ankle.

Yesterday, she brought me to Bueng Kaen Nakhon, which was an approximate 10-minute drive from my apartment. Bueng Kaen Nakhon literally translates to Khon Kaen Lake. The lake itself was something similar to Bedok Reservoir, except that there was plenty of life buzzing around the perimeter; bars, restaurants, night markets, you name it.

Not a fan of running, she rented a bicycle and cycled alongside me as I ran and for some reason, we kept getting stares while we made our way around the lake.

I did a good 5 min/km and realized that the perimeter of the lake was only about 4km. Honestly, it didn’t seem that small. I would have expected it to be at least 6km.

Last week, I was just catching up with a friend online, and I was telling him about how I noticed that Thai kids are more resilient compared to Singaporean kids. They grow up in uncomfortable circumstances and homes, some of them having lost their parents at a young age, they understand what is real adversity. On the other hand, Singaporean kids really have everything and are, honestly, too pampered for their own good. I had a student who twisted and broke her ankle in school, but she only rested at home for a day and was back in school the next day, with her leg in a cast and requiring the use of crutches. I think a Singaporean parent will probably lock his child at home at least for a week or so, for recovery.

Coincidentally, or God-incidentally, Dr A R Bernard shared on “Resilience” during this week’s church service.

Here are some of his points.

1. Resilient people have a passion for what they believe in.
They have a passion for whatever cause they are committed to. They are willing to burn the midnight oil, willing to suffer the pain of discipline and they understand the power of delayed gratification.

2. Resilient people are forgiving people.
They don’t hold grudges. They forgive others and they forgive themselves. They refuse to let failures and hurts from the past define them, but instead take positive interpretation from past events and invest the wisdom of it in their future. Forgiveness is a way of life, and forgiveness is a way to keep on moving

(I didn’t manage to catch much on the next few points because my phone kept buzzing.)

3. Resilient people live in a state of hope.
Resilient people are optimistic.

4. Resilient people are people of faith.
They have a strong belief that they can achieve the future that they are hoping for.

5. Resilient people have an uncanny ability to encourage themselves.
They know how to gain strength and optimism and hope within their own personal relationship with God.

Resilient people accept the reality that they can’t do it by themselves. There are seasons when they need other people to come and strengthen, and support what they do.

Resilient people walk in humility because they understand that they are a part of something greater than themselves.